ARLINGTON, Texas — The University of Florida students who comprise the “Rowdy Reptiles” were given the cheapest ticket at $40 for end-zone seats at the Final Four, but that’s the least of their expenses in getting to AT&T Stadium.

Some of the 600 members who made it to north Texas took a bus, others got on a plane, but the financial commitment is still pretty steep for a college student budget. Each of the Rowdy Reptiles were able to purchase their tickets on a first-come, first-serve basis through the University Athletic Association, but weren’t allowed to pick them up until two hours before tipoff to discourage scalping.

“It’s a once in a lifetime chance, you can’t pass it up,” said Ashley Scalera, a UF graduate student from Deltona who was holding up a sign before tipoff Saturday against Connecticut that supported Gators’ center Patric Young.

Sitting next to Scalera was Barrhett Wright of Gainesville. He was able to reduce his costs of getting to the Final Four because his aunt works for an airline.

“I hesitated about coming for about 30 seconds, then realized I had to do it,” said Wright. “Yeah, we’re all on a budget. But if you don’t go, you’d think about all the things you should have done.”

Ponte Vedra Beach resident Jake Sillick, a Nease High graduate, cut down his costs by sharing a room at Florida’s team hotel at $250 per night with three other students. He was enjoying the pregame festivities with his friend, Michael Mas, a sophomore aerospace mechanical engineering student from Mandarin.

“The [ticket] price isn’t the issue, it’s the costs of getting out here,” said Sillick, the first president of the Rowdy Reptiles when it was formed over a year ago.

When asked to name his favorite Gators’ player, he leaned a bit toward Jacksonville’s Young, then added: “I can’t pick one. This team’s too special.”

The Reptiles have received plenty of television air time the past couple days because stations leap at the chance to display Gator enthusiasm. They’ll likely get national TV time during UF’s game with UConn.